Melancholic Smile
by Vatrel
Summary: Yuzuki can't seem to remember why she was unconscious in the wastelands, nor can she comprehend how this Kitsune guy can make her heart race so fast. A oneshot of a fox searching for the scent of his lifelong mate. Contains my own OC's and my friend.


**I own all the characters except for Yuzuki who is… property of herself.**

**Melancholic Smile**

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FOR YOU, YUZUKI!!

[ONESHOT

**Pairing: My friend Yuzuki and my OC Tophez Maelstrom Kitsune (aka Toma Kitsune).  
Genre: Romance, action.  
Series: Yuumei (my own pseudo manga).**

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As always the windiest part of the mountain cliffs were Kitsune's favourite - no one would be able to see him, and he wouldn't be able to see anyone. The scarlet fox tail of his gave him an astounding sense of balance in a place where ordinary humans would find it hard to hold on

Kitsune pushed his shades further up on his nose, ignoring the black hair of his which was getting in the way of his eyesight at the moment.

He let out a deep, melancholic sigh when the white side of his soul, Toma, as he preferred to be called, didn't reply no matter how often Kitsune tried reacing out to him. Toma was also bored. He didn't feel like conversing with the one sharing his body if it wasn't important - to him, that is.

"Master..."

Kitsune directed his blood coloured, indifferent eyes towards the anxious and very short man who happened to be his subordinate.

"What are you doing up here, Seth?" Kitsune asked him calmly, his eyes narrowing a bit. "You should have just told me to come down."

Seth's eyes immediately moved away from Kitsune's cold expression and watched the ground in regret. He held his staff close to himself, in order to stay standing. Kitsune watched him silently for a couple of seconds before speaking.

"Are you still frail from yesterday's attack?"

Seth shook his head and raised it with renewed confidence.

"I am fine. This is nothing different from how it normally is."

The green-haired so called underdog bit his lip at his own reply. He didn't appreciate it when his "master" constantly reminded him of the sickness his body had to endure.

But Kitsune didn't seem to care. He watched the cold scenery underneath, his fox ears moving back and forth trying to catch faraway sounds.

"... 'Sides", he said, facing Seth, "I noticed their presence before you got here."

His lips pulled up, turning into a sadistic smile.

Seth shut his eyes and sat down, his back facing the mountain wall.

---

"So who is she?"

Locke turned and faced his blind-folded companion with eyes tiring from a long trip. He watched the passed out girl in his arms and carefully placed her on the grassy ground, then sitting down next to her.

"Kain", he said in a quiet, calm voice. "Calm down. We have to wait until she wakes up first."

Kain, which was the name of Locke's friend, sat down in the shadow of a tree nearby.

"... Who would've thought a girl like that would be out here, all alone..."

Locke frowned.

"What do you mean, 'a girl like that'?"

Kain grinned widely to himself and leaned towards the tree.

"Nothing."

Hours passed and the darkness of the coming night crept closer. Locke silently watched the girl, when he suddenly noticed something moving in her brown hair. He reached out his hand to touch it, but quickly pulled it back when he realized it was an ear - a twitching cat ear to be precise. He didn't know if he should feel disgusted or not. Either way, he felt like he had seen someone like that before, only it was a male. He pushed his thoughts aside when he noticed the girl was waking up.

"Kain", he called out, "look!"

Kain moved closer and watched the girl opening her honey-coloured eyes.

"... Where... Where am I...?" she mumbled, trying to sit up.

"In the middle of nowhere, you could say", Locke replied in a friendly tone. "We found you unconscious in the wastelands."

The girl wathed the two friends with a confused expression.

"And... who are you?"

"My name is Locke. This is my companion, Kain."

The girl nodded and smiled a little towards them. At least they seemed polite and nice enough.

"My name's Yuzuki."

Silence followed.

Locke stuttered something and raised an eyebrow, while Kain bursted out into hysterical laughter. Yuzuki's eyes widened in surprise, while her cheeks were slightly coloured red in embarrassment.

"What?" she asked, flustered.

Locke hit the back of Kain's head.

"Kain, shut up. Don't be rude."

"That's the weirdest name I've ever--"

Locke pulled Kain's hair, making him shriek a little before he finally kept his mouth shut.

"I'm sorry," Locke said, facing Yuzuki.

She smiled and tried to hide how amused it had made her seeing the friends' little fight.

"It's alright."

Locke slightly tilted his head.

"What were you doing out there?"

Yuzuki frowned a little and put one hand on her head.

"I... don't quite remember... Maybe I hit my head or something..."

"Is that so... Well, you're free to come with us for as long as you like, then... Until you have regained your memory."

Locke stood up and shook his stiff legs a little. Yuzuki followed his example.

"Thank you, but... is it really alright?"

Kain patted her shoulder from behind and smiled kindly towards her.

"Of course! Having a pretty lady around always lightens up the mood!"

Locke's eyes darknened.

"Kain. Hands off."

"Yes, sir."

Yuzuki laughed at the silly company she had been given. Little did she know that the happiness she felt at the moment wouldn't last long.

---

Kitusne's ears twitched at the sound of a female voice he had never heard before. He frowned in slight frustration. It wasn't Yuumei. But in a way, he liked her scent.

"Is something amiss, master Kitsune?" Seth asked him politely, pulling away his hidden hatred from the surface.

"Stay here, Seth."

"But--"

"Shut up." Kitsune took a few steps past him and smiled. "I've discovered something interesting..."

With that said, he took a leap down the cliff and gracefully landed on the ground below, more than a km from where he had been standing only recently.

Yuzuki and her companions almost fell over in surprise when the dark fox appeared behind them. He watched all three of them with renewed interest.

"Yo", he casually greeted them, apparently in a good mood.

Locke's eyes widened, and he entered a stance ready for combat. "It's you!!"

"Don't address me like that", said Kitsune. "It's been such a long time. ... What have we here?"

In a swift second, Kitsune had reappeared behind Yuzuki, raising her head with his fingers to a level where she was able to meet his eyes. Seeing into those red pools of his made her heart race mysteriously, which also made her uncomfortable enough to try to push him away.

"Let her go, you sadistic freak!" Kain shouted.

But Kitsune was too strong for Yuzuki, and way too strong-headed to listen to Kain or Locke. He reached out and carefully caressed on of the cat ears. When he could feel the warmth of the blood residing in them, he flinched for a while but quickly regained his confident smile. He pulled her closer to him in order to whisper in her ears:

"Somehow, this appearance of yours, your whole spirit, is making my blood rush... Sorry, but my instincts are telling me to take you with me."

"Wha--??"

Yuzuki tried to move away from him, but for some reason, her knees were too weak to support her. Kitsune's arms were the only thing holding her up.

Being quite skilled at hearing, Locke flinched at Kitsune's words and pulled his sword out to attack him.

"Like hell you are!!"

Kitsune easily dodged, still holding Yuzuki in his arms while firing off a jolt of energy towards Locke and Kain with his other hand.

"Don't push your luck", he threatened in triumph.

With his free hand, Kitsune pulled himself up ona cliff about seven metres above the others. He set his eyes on Yuzuki and forcefully, but gently, placed her hand on his chest. Yuzuki's cheeks reddened.

Kitsune leaned his head slightly forward, gently kissing Yuzuki's neck. She shivered in surprise and put her other hand on his shoulder in order to stay up.

"Can you feel it?" Kitsune whispered. "The heartbeats, the blood..."

Yuzuki did feel it, but she was unsure if he meant his or her own leaping heart. Either way, she was confused about the fact that she didn't want to move, rather than that she wasn't able to. Somehow, the gentleness in the earlier sadistic voice made her feel secure. But this wasn't right, was it...? She just couldn't remember why she felt like this...

In the amount of minutes which, for Yuzuki, had felt like hours, that they had been standing there, Locke had managed to get up there and directed a slash towards Kitsune, who immediately saw it coming.

He did his best in dodging, but Yuzuki could see that he never fought back - it looked more liked he was protecting her from the hits, rather than actually dodgin them himself.

One swift slash managed to cut Kitsune's cheek and a bit of his hair, which caught him slightly off guard. That was enough for Locke to nail the abductor's shoulder to the mountain wall with his sword.

"Kh...!!" Kitsune grabbed the sword, feeling the warm blood cover his hand.

Yuzuki's head hit the wall at the attack, and for a while everything around her seemed to stop. Things were coming back to her; a village, fire, screaming and fleeing people with animal ears and tails, bandits, horses... an attempt at fleeing. Someone behind her, helping her along the way. She had never seen him before. It was a man resembling a fox, someone of her own race - the race that had been slaughtered in cold blood. And then a picture residing in her mind, a picture of that same man, standing on a windy cliff, facing her and smiling with melancholic eyes.

Yuzuki opened her eyes with a gasp, and didn't realize what she was doing until she found herself kissing her abductor where they stood.

Locke's grip on the sword weakened, and Kitsune pulled it out as soon as he noticed.

Yuzuki released the kiss and quickly tore off a piece of her clothing in order to stop the blood from gushing out.

Kitsune was breathing heavily, and Yuzuki had to make him lie down in order to examine the wound. She turned her head and smiled regretfully.

"I'm sorry, Locke... Sorry for making you protect me like that... But I understand now. So pleade don't hurt him!"

Locke shook his head, still a little confused.

"Don't be sorry." He smiled. "You know him, don't you? Did your memories return?"

Yuzuki silently nodded and stopped Kitsune from trying to get up. The fox frowned and agreed to stay down. He watched some invisible spot on the mountain wall in order not to meet Yuzuki's eyes. She smiled. He was clearly embarrassed, not only for losing, but for being weak in front of her. That hadn't been a part of his plan.

"I thought so when I saw your... appearance."

Silence followed.

"... I'm sorry", Locke quietly said.

Yuzuki watched Kitsune and blushed a little. He had only been searching for a proper mate, like any other fox. She could tell the feelings were sincere - but he sure had his ways of showing his love. Being a male, he must've been wanting to show her his strength rather than his weakness.

And finally, she decided to reply.

"Dont' be. After all, thanks to you I've found my long lost love."

And Kitsune smiled, still facing another way, with the same melancholic eyes as that time.

---

This is the 2nd prize in my contest given to yuzuki-kitten on deviantART. I hope I did a good job... I tried my absolute best in this fic...


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